The icon of St. Marina helps with what meaning. Orthodox icon of Saint Marina
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Memory Holy Great Martyr Marina of Antioch celebrated in the Orthodox Church on July 30 according to the new style.
Biography of the Great Martyr Marina
The Holy Great Martyr Marina of Antioch is an early Christian saint who suffered martyrdom during the reign of Emperor Diocletian in the second half of the 3rd century. The first life of the saint was written by a certain Christian Theotimus, who witnessed the torture and execution of Marina. According to life, her father was a pagan priest from the city of Antioch of Pisidia. Marina's mother died very early, and therefore the girl was raised by her nurse, who was a secret Christian. From her, the future saint heard about Christ, and ardent faith and love for God arose in the girl’s heart: she decided to devote her whole life to Him and not get married. No information has been preserved about how the pagan father reacted to his daughter’s choice, since the lives give conflicting information. When Marina was fifteen years old, the ruler of that region accidentally saw her while the girl was tending sheep outside the city. Struck by her beauty, the ruler wished for her to become his wife. However, Marina boldly confessed her Christian faith and said that she had vowed never to get married. The ruler, enraged by the refusal, demanded that the young Christian woman make a sacrifice to the pagan gods, and after she refused, he ordered her to be subjected to torment and torture, which lasted three days. According to the life, during these days Marina saw Satan, who took the form of a dragon and appeared to throw the martyr into awe, but the saint drove him away from her with the sign of the cross and the power of prayer. Finally, on the third day of torture, Marina was executed, and with her about fifteen thousand people received the crown of martyrdom. Some lives tell that a certain warrior Malchus, who was supposed to cut off Marina’s head, seeing her suffering for Christ and unshakable faith, himself believed, for which he also suffered a martyr’s death.
Veneration of the Great Martyr Marina
The relics of the Great Martyr Marina were preserved by a witness to her death, the Christian Theotimus, who also became the first biography of the holy virgin. At first, the relics were in the house of one pious woman, and then they were transferred to the chapel-martyrium, where miracles began to be performed from them. After the end of the persecution of Christians, the saint’s remains were transferred to Constantinople, where they remained until the city was captured by the Crusaders in the 13th century. The veneration of the Holy Great Martyr Marina was also preserved in the West, but in Catholic countries the saint was known under the name Margaret, which is translated from Latin language means "pearl". In European countries there are many churches dedicated to this saint, but Saint Marina enjoys the greatest veneration in Greece and Bulgaria. They turn to the Great Martyr Marina with a request to deliver them from troubles, slander and misfortunes. In addition, you can pray to Saint Marina for the healing of the sick, especially those possessed by demons and the mentally ill, since the life of the saint tells of her victory over Satan. But, like any holy saint of God, the Holy Great Martyr Marina can be addressed with various requests: both for help in everyday needs, and with requests for healing from a serious illness, remembering that the intercession of saints should serve, first of all, The main goal of a Christian's life is the salvation of his soul.
Iconographic images of St. Marina On Orthodox icons, St. Marina is depicted with a cross in a red robe, which in its color symbolizes the blood shed for Christ. On Greek icons you can see a dragon or devil in the form of a black horned man, whom the saint strikes with a weapon.
Troparion, tone 4:
Your Lamb, Jesus, Marina/ calls with a great voice:/ I love You, my Marriage,/ and, seeking You, I suffer,/ and I am crucified, and I am buried in Your baptism,/ and I suffer for Your sake,/ for I reign in You,/ and I die for You, and I also live with You, / but as an immaculate sacrifice, accept me, sacrificed to You with love. / By those prayers, / as you are merciful, save our souls.
Kontakion, tone 3:
Virginity is replete with kindnesses, O virgin,/ you were crowned with imperishable crowns, Marino,/ you were stained with the blood of martyrdom,/ miracles of enlightened healings,/ piously, O martyr, you received the honor of the victory of your suffering.
Magnification:
We magnify you, / Marino, the passion-bearer of Christ, / and honor your honest suffering, / which you endured for Christ.
Prayer:
O holy virgin and great martyr Marino, true Bridegroom of your Christ, who suffered in the city of Antioch for the faith of Christ, passed through fire and water and found her home in the Kingdom of Heaven! From your youth, you have loved Christ, our God, with all your soul and with all your heart, the only one who desires to serve. You shone with the power of your piety, chastity and righteousness, having lived holy and precariously among the infidels. You, wonderfully healed from wounds by the grace of God, amazed your tormentors and brought many unbelievers to the knowledge of the True God. By the power of God you trampled the devil who appeared before your eyes, and you received grace to defeat the enemy of the human race in the battle. You are a bright lamp for the entire Church of Christ, a warm prayer book for God, and a speedy intercessor for all who come running to you with faith. O Saint Marino, guide us to the Heavenly Fatherland, give us zeal for salvation, direct our steps to doing the commandments of Christ, to the path of spiritual achievement and correction of life. Remember us with your prayer, help us all to live chastely, righteously and piously. Hear us, Passion-Bearer of Christ, and beg God, the Lover of Mankind, that through your intercession He may give peace and good order to our Fatherland, may all Orthodox Christians be affirmed in faith, piety and purity, may He strengthen brotherly love in us, may He cleanse us sinners from filth and vices May He save us from the actions of the enemy, and have mercy on us with His grace, and make us heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven, where together with you we will glorify the wondrous God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, in His saints, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Lived during the reign of Emperor Claudius (c. 270). She was born in Antioch of Pisidia (in Asia Minor) and was the daughter of the pagan priest Edesius (Edesima). Her mother died when the girl was 12 years old, and her father entrusted the care of his daughter to the village nurse. Communication with local Christians and Marina’s natural inclinations favored the growth of the seed of true faith in her heart. When she turned 15 years old, her love for Christ was so strong in her that Marina wanted only one thing and thought about only one thing - to participate in martyrdom and shed her blood in the name of love for Christ. Without hiding her desire, Marina was not afraid to publicly declare that she was a Christian and ridiculed the cult of idols. This earned her the hatred of her father, who disinherited her.
One day, the prefect of Asia, Olybrius, on his way to Antioch, saw the saint while she was tending flocks with other women of the village. Fascinated by Marina's beauty, he wished to take her as his wife and ordered his men to bring the girl. Arriving at the palace, she appeared before the magistrate, who asked her to give her name. The virgin answered in a confident voice: “My name is Marina, I am the daughter of free parents from Pisidia, but I am the servant of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who created heaven and earth.” Then she was imprisoned in anticipation of a great pagan holiday, which was to take place the next day.
When she was again brought to trial and ordered to make sacrifices to the gods along with everyone else, Marina replied: “I will offer a sacrifice of praise to my God, but never to your dumb idols, deprived of life!” Olybrius begged her to take care of her youth and beauty. But she objected that all bodily beauty fades, while the torment endured for the name of Christ adorns the soul and prepares it for eternal bliss. The magistrate, angry at such insolence, ordered the maiden to be stretched out on the ground, beaten with spiked rods and her flesh torn with iron hooks. The saint’s blood flowed in an abundant stream and stained the ground, but Marina did not utter a single cry of pain and remained unperturbed, as if someone else was suffering in her place.
After several hours of torment, she was thrown into prison, where she prayed to the Lord not to leave her in the test and profession of faith. Suddenly an earthquake occurred in the dungeon, releasing a huge serpent from the bowels of the earth. His eyes exuded fire and smoke, his nostrils exuded flames and abundant smoke, his tongue was blood-red, and the monster whistled terribly as it approached the saint. Seized by great fear, Marina turned with prayer to the Lord, our Savior, who deprived Satan of his power and freed the dead from hell with His cross. Then the serpent turned into a disgusting black dog, but the saint, strengthened from now on by the grace of God, grabbed him by the fur, pressed his neck with her foot and, taking a copper hammer, killed him with blows to the head and spine.
A bright light shone in the dungeon, emanating from a huge cross on which a white dove was sitting. The dove landed near Marina and said: “Rejoice, Marina, spiritual dove of the Lord, for you have won victory over the evil one and covered him with shame. Rejoice, faithful servant of the Lord, Whom you love with all your heart and for whose sake you have left all fleeting earthly pleasures. Rejoice and rejoice, for the day has come when you will accept the crown of victory and, clothed with it, together with the wise virgins you will worthily enter the nuptial rest of your Bridegroom and King!”
In the morning, Marina was again brought to the ruler's court. Since she was more firm than ever in her decision, Olybrius ordered her to be undressed and burned with torches. After this torture, she was thrown head down into a vat of water. And again the dove appeared, carrying a branch in its beak, and the cross shone above the vat, from where the saint rose, freed from her fetters. The dove was heard to say: “Marina, go to the Bridegroom of all the righteous!” Seeing such a miracle, many pagans present there converted to the true faith and asked the saint to instruct them in the teaching that would grant salvation. In the greatest rage, the ruler ordered them all to be beheaded, along with Saint Marina.
Arriving at the place of execution, the martyr asked the executioners to give her time for prayer and, turning to the east, she turned to the Lord with a prayer to recognize the holiness of the soul and body of those who stood up for her defense. Having completed the prayer, she called the executioner to do his job, but, gripped by pious fear, he converted to the faith of Christ and refused to raise his hand against the saint. Then Marina said: “You will not help me if you delay in doing what you were ordered.” With a trembling hand, he cut off her head.
A certain Christian named Theotimus, who secretly brought food to the saint in prison, came for her body and buried her with dignity. In the era crusades(1204) the relics of Saint Marina were venerated in Constantinople in the Church of Christ the All-Seeing (Pantepopt).
From a book published by the Sretensky Monastery publishing house.
Compiled by Hieromonk Macarius of Simonopetra,
adapted Russian translation - Sretensky Monastery Publishing House
Hearing the word “water,” the ruler ordered the saint to be drowned in a huge barrel. The martyr asked the Lord that this execution would become holy Baptism for her. As she was being immersed in the water, a light suddenly shone and a snow-white dove descended from Heaven, carrying a golden crown in her beak. The bonds imposed on Saint Marina untied themselves. The martyr stood in the baptismal font glorifying the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Saint Marina emerged from the font completely healthy, without a single trace of burns. Amazed by the miracle, the people began to praise the True God, and many believed. This infuriated the ruler, and he ordered the destruction of everyone who professed the Name of Christ. Then 15,000 Christians died, and the holy martyr Marina was beheaded. The suffering of the great martyr was described by an eyewitness to the events named Theotimus.
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| St. Marina (Margarita) of Antioch |
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| St. MC Marina. |
...In the 8th century. Empress Maria transferred part of the saint's relics to Constantinople. They were kept in the monastery of Pantepont (All-Seer of Christ) until the city was captured in 1204 by the crusaders. Another part of the saint’s relics was transferred in 908 from Antioch to Tuscany and placed in Monte Fiascone.
In 1213, a certain John de Borea took a silver casket containing the hand of the saint from one of the monasteries of Constantinople. These relics saved him from a storm on his way to Venice. Later they were placed in the Venetian church of St. Liberal, after which the church itself was renamed in honor of St. Marina. Until the 17th century they stayed there. In the 19th century this shrine was transferred to the temple of St. Thomas in the same city.
Pieces of her relics in large quantities are located on Athos. Part of the saint's hand is in Xenophon, left hand with a brush - in the Iveron Monastery, in the Philotheus Monastery - a leg, in the Russian Panteleimon Monastery - one of the ribs; large parts of her relics are in Hilandar and Esphigmen.
A part of a hand is kept in Zugdidi (Georgia). Particles of the relics of the great martyr are also in Russia: in the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, in the Moscow Church of the Resurrection of Christ (Sokolniki) in a casket brought from the Holy Mountain in 1863 by the elder hieromonk Arseny.
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| St. Marina (Margarita). |
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| St. Marina Fragment of a painting in the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor |
The virgin was replete with kindnesses, you were crowned with incorruptible crowns Marino: you were stained with the blood of martyrdom, miracles of healing were enlightened, you piously accepted the honor of the victory of your suffering to the martyr.
(days.pravoslavie.ru; ru.wikipedia.org; illustrations - trinity-church.ru; www.svet999.ru; www.cirota.ru; www.afon.vyatich.ru; www.ikonebilic.com; ojkrajino.com ; www.pravoslavie.ru; www.exiqze.com; www.idrp.ru;
The face of the holy martyr saves from adversity. Prayers to Saint Marina the Great Martyr help fight injustice, protect from evil people, protect from lies and demonic possession.
The miraculous icon is kept in Crete. The relics of the virgin heal those suffering from physical and mental illnesses.
Life of Saint Marina
The Holy Martyr Marina was born in Antioch of Pisidia (in Asia Minor). The youth of the immaculate virgin fell at a time (about 270) when believers in Christ suffered persecution, mockery and execution. The desire for martyrdom for the glory of God led Marina to break with her family. But the righteous woman received much more, becoming a true example of faith for centuries.
Marina's face was created based on the descriptions of an eyewitness to the trials to which the girl was subjected.
She was only 15 years old when Olimbrius, the ruler of Rome, saw her beauty and desired the maiden for himself. But Marina has already devoted herself to serving the Lord. The monarch was unable to get her as a wife and then the Saint’s torment began.
The girl was thrown into prison and terribly tortured: they beat her with rods, burned her with a hot iron, and drowned her. But even in captivity, she continued to pray; the torture strengthened her spirit. At night, the Holy Spirit descended on the martyr and she received healing from her bodily wounds. And in the morning Marina was called a witch and burned. Accepting a painful death, she cried out to the Lord and begged him for baptism, and at that moment a golden crown covered the virgin’s head, and everyone who watched the execution believed.
By order of the enraged ruler, 15,000 believers were beheaded along with Marina.
How do prayers to Saint Marina help?
Prayer to Saint Marina heals those who suffer, brings forgiveness, and helps get rid of the burden of someone else's guilt.
Marina was originally depicted wearing red robes, symbolizing the blood shed for her faith. She looked at the people praying to the miraculous image and held the cross. Later reproductions depict the tempter’s serpent at Marina’s feet, a symbol of the saint’s resistance to the fight against Satan. The background shows the torture of innocent people.
The prayer to the Holy Great Martyr Marina is often used before a person makes an important life decision, because it is Saint Marina who is an example of spiritual purity and perseverance.
Prayers to the Holy Great Martyr Marina for protection from injustice
This prayer appeal helps in difficult times to choose the right decision that will relieve temptation and lead to well-being.
First prayer
Oh, holy virgin and martyr Marina, who loves the Lord with all her soul, who went through fire, water and physical torture for her faith, and was reborn in the Kingdom of Heaven. In your youth, you already loved Christ, choosing the path of holiness, sanity and righteousness, serving as an example for everyone with your life. Healed from her wounds and experiencing torment, she converted many atheists to the true faith. You illuminate my life and that of every servant of God who comes to you with faith in prayer. Oh, intercessor, guide us to fulfill all the commandments of the Lord and spiritual achievement. Have mercy on our lives with your words before the Lord God. Intercede for all Orthodox Christians, strengthen our faith, piety and love for our neighbors. Cleanse from flaws, curses and dashing thoughts. Free from enmity, injustice and lies. Have mercy, pious Marina, and help us glorify the name of the Lord. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, from now on and forever and ever. Amen.
Second prayer
O holy virgin and great martyr Marino, true Bridegroom of your Christ, who suffered in the city of Antioch for the faith of Christ, passed through fire and water and found her home in the Kingdom of Heaven! From your youth, you have loved Christ, our God, with all your soul and with all your heart, the only one who desires to serve. You shone with the power of your piety, chastity and righteousness, having lived holy and precariously among the infidels. You, wonderfully healed from wounds by the grace of God, amazed your tormentors and brought many unbelievers to the knowledge of the True God. By the power of God you trampled the devil who appeared before your eyes, and you received grace to defeat the enemy of the human race in the battle. You are a bright lamp for the entire Church of Christ, a warm prayer book for God, and a speedy intercessor for all who come running to you with faith. O Saint Marino, guide us to the Heavenly Fatherland, give us zeal for salvation, direct our steps to doing the commandments of Christ, to the path of spiritual achievement and correction of life. Remember us with your prayer, help us all to live chastely, righteously and piously. Hear us, Passion-Bearer of Christ, and beg God, the Lover of Mankind, that through your intercession He may give peace and good order to our Fatherland, may all Orthodox Christians be affirmed in faith, piety and purity, may He strengthen brotherly love in us, may He cleanse us sinners from filth and vices May He save us from the actions of the enemy, and have mercy on us with His grace, and make us heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven, where together with you we will glorify the wondrous God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, in His saints, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Troparion and Kontakion to the Great Martyr Marina of Antioch
Troparion, tone 4
Your Lamb, Jesus, Marina/ calls with a great voice:/ I love You, my Bridegroom,/ and, seeking You, I suffer,/ and I am crucified, and I bury myself in Your baptism,/ and I suffer for You. Come,/ let me reign in You,/ and I die for You, and I also live with You,/ but as a blameless sacrifice, accept me, sacrificed to You with love./ Through my prayers,// For You are merciful, save our souls.
Translation:
Your Lamb, Jesus, Marina cries out loudly: “I love You, my Bridegroom, and, seeking You, I suffer, and I am crucified and buried with You in Your baptism, and I endure torment for You, that I may reign in You, and die for You, so that I may live with You; but, accept me as an immaculate sacrifice, offered to You with love!” Through her intercessions, as the Merciful One, save our souls.
Kontakion, tone 3
Virginity is replete with kindness, O maiden,/ you were crowned with imperishable crowns, Marino,/ you were stained with the blood of martyrdom,/ miracles of enlightened healings,// piously, you received honor to the martyr the years of your suffering.
Translation:
You are adorned with the perfection of chastity, O virgin, you are crowned with an incorruptible crown, Marina, you are stained with the blood of martyrdom, enlightened by miracles of healing, piously, O martyr, you accepted the honors of the victory of your martyrdom.
Kontakion, voice 3
Marina today crushes the head of the enemy,/ having received the crown of victory from Heaven./ For the prophets were not able to hold it,/ having tied it, she wounded it.// For this reason, the decoration appears to be a martyr, and also praise.
The Great Martyr Marina is one of the most revered saints of the Church of Christ. She is glorified and prayed to by Eastern and Western Christians. There are special reasons for this, for her glory and exploits surpass the glory of many great holy men and women of the Universal Church. It was God's will that the young maiden who "by the might of His might"(Eph. 6:10) amazed the world with the manifestation of the amazing power of faith, and to this day amazes everyone who gets to know him with her life.
Saint Marina’s love for God, her faith and boldness are so great that after the most severe torture, when the whole body of the sufferer was torn to pieces by the tormentors, the fifteen-year-old girl begged God to subject her to an unheard-of test: she begged God to let her fight the devil and overcome him with the help of God.
And all this happened: the arrogant and crafty prince of this world was trampled under a virgin’s foot and was forced to reveal the truth about how he destroys human souls: from the very spirit of darkness, people learned how he takes possession of a person. The voice of the young bride of Christ has brought to us through many centuries a testimony of enormous, enduring significance. The testimony of the great martyr and her feat are especially important in our days for strengthening faith in the True God and strengthening Orthodox Christians in spiritual warfare.
We know about the exploits of the Great Martyr Marina from authentic ancient acts of martyrdom that have survived to this day. In addition, her suffering was described by an eyewitness to the events, Blessed Theotimus. Theotimus witnessed the glorious martyrdom of Saint Marina and her execution. He managed to buy court records from shorthand writers (tachygraphers) - verbatim records of the interrogations and sentence of Saint Marina. Using these most valuable documents, as well as from his personal memories, Theotimus dictated to the scribe Euthymius everything that he saw and heard about the holy martyr, so that his testimony became the basis for subsequent lives.
When compiling the life of the Great Martyr Marina, ancient Greek hagiographers in the 10th–11th centuries excluded the details of Saint Marina’s conversation with the devil, and for a millennium they were forgotten. Today the life of the great martyr reveals to us her truly great and unique feat. (This complete life St. Marina published by the Tabernacle publishing house in Moscow: A. V. Bugaevsky, Abbot Vladimir (Zorin). The life and sufferings of the Holy Great Martyr Marina. The suffering and miracles of the Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva. M., 1999. As the compilers of the life write, it was prepared from Greek and Latin manuscripts that have survived to our time, including unique monuments from the turn of the 4th–5th centuries.) The open battle and victory of the holy virgin Marina over Satan is the only such evidence that has survived to our time .
The Great Martyr Marina accomplished her feat during the persecutions that took place during the reign of Emperor Diocletian (284–305) and his co-ruler Emperor Galerius (285–311). According to the testimony of ancient writers and many historians, this was the most severe and cruel persecution. But at the same time it became the last in the Roman Empire. It is not always clear to modern readers why Christianity and Christians were destroyed with such cruelty Ancient Rome. Therefore, we preface the life of Saint Marina with a brief outline of the history of the last persecution of Christians in pagan Rome.
CHAPTER I
PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS DURING THE REIGN OF EMPEROR DIOCLETIAN (284–305)
On November 20, 284, the Roman army proclaimed Valerius Diocletian, a former freedman who had risen from a simple legionnaire to commander of the imperial protector guard, emperor. He ruled the empire for twenty-one years, after which he abdicated the throne in favor of heirs chosen by himself. Diocletian marked the end of his reign with a bloody massacre of Christians. “It was a terrible funeral feast, celebrated by paganism in itself, because it was the eve of the triumph of Christian society over pagan society.” (A.P. Lebedev. The era of persecution of Christians. M., 1994).
These persecutions seem to contradict Diocletian's previous policies. During the nineteen years of his reign, he did not touch Christians. Moreover, Christians occupied government positions, they were among the highest provincial officials and in the army. Even in the imperial family itself, Christians had powerful patrons. Prisca, the wife of Diocletian, and his daughter Valeria, the wife of Caesar Galerius, were so inclined towards Christianity that they avoided participating in the offering of pagan sacrifices, and only their state and social position kept them from accepting Christianity.
The church historian Eusebius exclaims: “The welfare of Christians strengthened over time under Diocletian, every day it gained strength and greatness, and no hatred constrained it, no evil demon was able to harm.” The famous historian Burckhardt, who studied this era, noted about Diocletian that “he would have remained for us one of the greatest Roman emperors, the savior of civilization and the state, the most thoughtful judge of the needs of his time, if he had died in 302, that is, on the eve of persecution.” (A.P. Lebedev. The era of persecution of Christians. M., 1994).
Indeed, the results of his reign are impressive. He restored the stability of the empire, reorganized the administrative system, doubled the size of the army, and regulated the financial situation. Numerous previously numerous riots and uprisings practically ceased. Taking control of the empire into his own hands, Diocletian wanted to restore the strength and greatness of the state and for many years carried out state reforms. One of the main principles of his reforms was the restoration of the Roman religion in all its former greatness and splendor. He was well aware that extensive government reforms needed inner strength for support, otherwise they would be external and artificial.
Diocletian himself was convinced that the pagan gods were calling on him to strengthen the shaken kingdom. Contemporaries say that long before his proclamation, he learned from one soothsayer about his appointment to be emperor. Therefore, Diocletian placed all his reforms in relation to the cult of the gods. This tyrant served the pagan religion with the same devotion with which Julian the Apostate later served. Diocletian looked at himself as the high priest of the ancient Roman religion, in this he saw the guarantee of the well-being and prosperity of the state.
Diocletian began the persecution of Christians with the consciousness that a new religion capable of trampling pagan gods, threatens the inviolability of the empire. Therefore, Christians could not expect mercy from him.
Christian society, taking advantage of the long-term calm after the persecution of Emperor Valerian (253–259), increased in number, grew and became stronger, but at the same time began to lose its strength. This is how Eusebius writes about this: “From the fullness of freedom, the course of our Christian affairs has turned into slow and sluggish. We began to envy each other, quarrel with each other and, on occasion, hit each other with arrows of speech almost as well as with weapons. The primates began to attack the primates, the masses of Christians began to rebel against the masses, shameful hypocrisy and pretense reached highest degree evil." (Eusebius. Church history. VIII. 2).
The pagans could not help but see all this. And yet the Christians themselves did not give any reasons to the authorities for persecution. On the contrary, they obeyed the voice of their shepherds and showed obedience to the pagan authority, rendering “Caesar’s things to Caesar.” During the reign of Diocletian, Christians served in the army, clearly realizing that this was the duty of true patriots of their earthly homeland. Moreover, Bishop Theon in a letter to Lucilian writes that the emperor himself entrusted the protection of his person to Christian soldiers. In Diocletian's army there was a whole legion (6000 soldiers), the so-called Thebaid legion, consisting of Christians. So the fight against Christianity became the final link in the reform program of the Roman state.
Diocletian first tried to arrange inner life empire, and then fell upon Christians. This decision becomes even more understandable when we learn about his personal negative experience of the influence of the Christian religion on the pagan cult. In one of the surviving documents, Emperor Constantine the Great recalled how the priests, returning from the oracle of Apollo in the Temple of the Branchidae, reported that the oracle was silent because it was “under the influence of what was happening on earth.” When Diocletian asked what this phrase meant, he was told: “Christians, of course.” There is evidence that even when the secret Christians accompanying the emperor mentally made the sign of the cross, the oracle was either silent or did not give the necessary answers.
In February 303, the first decree against Christians was announced, ordering the destruction of churches to the ground and the destruction of sacred books by fire; Christians were deprived of civil positions and the right to complain in courts, that is, they were left without the protection of laws and the right to vote in public affairs. Soon a second decree was issued with new demands regarding Christians. According to it, the heads of the churches “were imprisoned in chains” and, as Eusebius writes, “the dungeons, originally intended for murderers and villains, were filled everywhere with bishops, presbyters, deacons, and readers, so that there was no place left in them for those convicted of atrocities.” (Eusebius. Church history. VIII. 2. 6). Christians began to be accused of rebellion against the authorities, and the leaders of the churches were considered secret leaders and instigators of these uprisings.
Following this, fires broke out twice in the imperial palace. The pagans blamed the Christians for the arson. The emperor's suspicions of Christians increased, and he authorized the use of torture against all Christians suspected of treason. In the same year 303, a third decree followed, according to which all clergy, imprisoned in accordance with the requirements of the second decree, had to make pagan sacrifices under threat of torture if they refused. However, at the end of 303, an amnesty was declared, the reason for which was the twentieth anniversary of the reign of Diocletian: according to it, all prisoners were released from prison. Having firmly decided to destroy Christianity, Diocletian, although he allowed them to be given an amnesty, soon resumed persecution with even greater force, as soon as the holiday dedicated to his twenty-year reign ended.
In the next year 304, the last, fourth decree against Christians appeared. A contemporary describes its contents as follows: “Royal letters were sent, which contained a command to all (Christians) to make sacrifices and make libations to the gods.” (Eusebius. On the Palestinian martyrs. Ch. 3). This decree announced widespread persecution of Christians. Because of this last decree, most of the blood of Christians was shed, although it consisted of only two lines. The decree was in effect for eight years, until 311. It was a demand for submission to the state in matters of faith. But this was absolutely unacceptable for Christians. They were required to renounce their faith, required to make sacrifices and libations in front of the statues of pagan gods and the emperor. In case of refusal, torture and execution followed. The persecution was started on the personal initiative of the emperor, and therefore Diocletian went down in history as one of the greatest enemies Christian faith and the Church of Christ.
After Diocletian's departure, his son-in-law Galerius became emperor. He did not issue any new threatening decrees against Christians; the persecution continued on the basis of the previous decrees of Diocletian. But under the new government, the persecution lost all purpose and became a senseless fanaticism. Christians were persecuted, tortured, and executed mainly because they were deprived of the protection of the laws.
Eusebius writes that in subsequent years in the east of the empire all Christians were invited to offer sacrifices; Christians were ordered to be included in lists and called by name to perform the rite of pagan sacrifice. Goods sold in markets were sprinkled with sacrificial libations. Even such a means was invented: some acts of Pilate were composed, in which Christ was described in very obscene terms. Lists from these sheets were nailed to poles, but this seemed not enough: school teachers It was ordered that these acts be dictated and the students learn them by heart. Thus, they wanted to instill hatred of Christianity in the younger generation. (How similar all this is to what was done in our Fatherland during the times of fighting against God. The devil at all times uses the same proven methods: lies, violence, murder).
Diocletian's contemporary Christian historian Lactantius uses the words of the great Roman poet Virgil to describe this persecution: “If I had a hundred lips and an iron tongue, I could not count all the kinds of evils, I could not even name all the punishments.” The persecutions of Diocletian and Galerius were the most cruel and widespread - but these were the last persecutions that were undertaken with the conscious intention of completely exterminating Christians in the Roman Empire. However, their result was the strengthening of the Church, because those who renounced began to demand that they be readmitted into the community after the trials were left behind, and many pagans, amazed by the courage of Christians, found the true faith. By this time, among the population of the empire there was no longer such hostility towards Christians as before.
When the persecution reached its climax, horror seized many, it seemed that the Christian world was about to shake, but these persecutions became the agony of paganism, which ended with the triumph of Christianity. During the reign of Galerius, Rome made a concession to Christians by recognizing the Christian religion. The persecutor Galerius himself, taught by cruel experience, issued a decree in 311 ending the persecution. By signing such a decree, the emperor, and with him the pagan world, declared their complete powerlessness in the fight against Christianity. The decree ending the persecution read: “We first wanted Christians to return to the ancient laws and social institutions of the Romans. Christians were overwhelmed by such pretentiousness, enslaved by such madness that they did not want to follow the ancient rules. We allow Christians to practice their religion and build houses for their worship meetings.” Christianity is “allowed” – “religia licita” - this is the formula of Galerius’ decree. Now the pagan emperor is waiting for prayers from Christians. The last words of the decree sound like this: “For such our indulgence, Christians must pray to their God for our health and public prosperity.”
Christian historians claim that the reason for this decree was the terrible, painful illness of Galerius, which brought him to the grave and in which the emperor saw the finger of God punishing him for his persecution of Christians.
These persecutions clearly showed that all measures against Christians, even torture and murder, were powerless, and therefore it was more prudent to stop the bloodshed that was destroying the citizens of the empire. Christians remained faithful to their religion, despite any threats, torture, or deprivation. Eusebius recalls that after the decree, the gates of the dungeons opened and the Christians imprisoned in them returned to their homes. They walked through towns and villages singing and rejoicing, joy shining in their eyes. Christians were also freed from forced labor. “Even the former murderers,” Eusebius writes about the pagans, “seeing this unexpected miracle, rejoiced at what had happened.” And two years later the famous Edict of Milan of Constantine the Great appeared. The light of the moon gave way to the light of the sun.
CHAPTER 2
CITY OF SAINT MARINA – ANTIOCH OF PISIDIA
Saint Marina was born in Antioch of Pisidia or Galatia. It was a border city between Phrygia and Pisidia. By the time of St. Apostle Paul the city was assigned to the Roman province of Galatia. It was located in the very heart of Asia Minor, in a low-water mountainous area northeast of the Taurus Mountains. Its former splendor is still evidenced by the majestic ruins of Roman temples, squares, the triumphal arch of Augustus, and the Roman aqueduct.
Founded by the Syrian ruler Seleucus I Nicator (312–280 BC) and named after his father, Antioch became a free city (with an elected administration) in 189 BC. In 24 BC the city became the capital of the Roman province. Residents with special status as citizens of Rome occupied a dominant position; local natives enjoyed fewer rights. The language of communication was Greek, the international language in the eastern part of the empire. In 11 BC the city turned into a Roman colony - a place of settlement for veteran soldiers.
Being animated shopping center With a well-developed leather industry conveniently located on the trade route from Ephesus to the Cilician Gate, Antioch attracted numerous Jewish traders who built a synagogue here. In addition, the city housed many civilian and military institutions.
Antioch was the center of worship of the fertility god Men, who was depicted as a warrior with a bull's head and wearing a Phrygian cap. Messianic expectations, which revived during the era of Emperor Octavian (the first bearer of the title Augustus; 31 BC - 14 AD) and made it possible to identify the god Men with the emperor, gave way after the death of Augustus to deep disappointment.
The apostles Paul and Barnabas first visited Antioch during their first missionary journey (about 48 A.D.) and founded a Christian community there, which, having established itself, as usual, under the Jewish synagogue, had a strong influence on the entire area. This church consisted primarily of pagans who had converted to Christianity. In any case, the Apostle Paul had serious opponents among the Jews who settled in Antioch (Acts 14:19; 2 Tim 3:11). In its capital, Antioch, after a Saturday sermon in the local synagogue, almost all the townspeople became interested in Paul’s words. However, the leaders of the synagogue and the authorities of the city expelled Paul and Barnabas from their borders (Acts 13: 14-52). Although the Jews rejected the Gospel, the Pisidian people accepted it (Acts 13:49). The newly converted disciples of Paul and Barnabas were “filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” From Antioch the Word of God spread “throughout the whole country” – Pisidia.
On his way back, the Apostle Paul again visited Antioch (Acts 14:21); he may have visited the city again at the beginning of his second journey (AD 51–52). It was in Antioch of Pisidia that the first temple was built in honor of the holy apostle.
The ruins of Pisidian Antioch, once located on several hills up to 1200 meters high, called Caesarea Antioch by the Romans, are now located near the modern Turkish city of Yalvaç. By the way, in the Archaeological Museum of Yalvacha there is a separate room, the historical information and exhibits of which are dedicated to the Apostle Paul.
In 713, Pisidian Antioch was destroyed as a result of another attack by the Arabs and completely lost its military, political and commercial significance. Today, only ruins remind of the former glory of the city, where stone roads, streets with columns were once carefully built and public buildings, running water, baths.
Many saints became famous on the Pisidian land: the martyr Porphyry of Antioch (Pisidian); holy martyrs Vianor and Silouan; Saint Kindey, Bishop of Pisidia; St. George the Confessor, Bishop of Antioch of Pisidia, and others, denounced the iconoclastic heresy. Among the famous miraculous icons Mother of God there are icons of Antioch and Pisidia.
CHAPTER 3
THE LIFE OF THE HOLY GREAT MARTYR MARINA
Saint Marina came from a noble family; her father Edesius was a pagan priest. Marina's mother died when the girl was twelve years old. After this, the father gave his only daughter to be raised by a nurse, who lived on his wife’s estate fifteen families (family is the Greek name for a Roman mile, equal to 1478.17 meters) from the city.
From her nurse, Marina first heard about Christ. The young maiden was beautiful in body and even more beautiful in soul. She took with all her heart what the nurse had sown, and looked for any opportunity to hear new testimonies about Christ. During the persecution that began then, many Christians hid in caves and small villages, but the preaching of Christianity did not stop. Marina managed to meet one of these Christian preachers. From him she learned about the saving teachings of Christ and eternal life. From then on, Marina thought only about learning more about Christ and learning to live according to His commandments. She grieved that she could not immediately receive baptism, since neither in the city nor in its environs, due to persecution, there was a single priest who could perform the Sacrament.
By the age of fifteen, love for Christ burned so much in her heart that she wanted only one thing - to participate in martyrdom and shed her blood in the name of this love. Marina openly confessed her faith before people and ridiculed the cult of idols, although she knew that she could share the fate of persecuted and tortured Christians. She was ready to accept torment and wanted to shed her blood for Christ in order to be baptized with it as with the baptismal font.
Soon Edesius learned with horror that his daughter had believed in Christ, and he renounced her. This was a difficult test for Marina, but she remained firm in her confession of faith and placed all her hopes in the Lord, asking for strength and blessings to serve Him.
For three years, the young maiden strengthened in faith and love for God. She heard about many holy martyrs who laid down their souls for the Lord, and she wanted to imitate them. In her prayers, which the descriptor of her feat preserved, there are the following words: “Lord, Lover of Mankind, You know my weakness and the weakness of human nature. Strengthen me against the adversary, so that I may trample him and glorify You forever. Amen". And the Lord heard this prayer, choosing a young virgin to glorify His name.
One day Marina and her friends went out of town to look at the sheep grazing in the field. At this time, the eparch (ruler) of the province Olimvrius was traveling along the road from Asia to the city of Antioch. According to the decrees of Emperor Diocletian, the eparch traveled around the Pisidian region to search for and execute Christians. Seeing Marina, he was fascinated by the beauty of the girl and decided to take her as his wife, if she was the daughter of a free citizen, and if she was a slave, then buy her from the owner and make her his concubine. Olimvriy ordered the soldiers to bring the girl to him.
Marina realized that the time had come for her to suffer for her faith and began to pray:
“Lord Jesus Christ, my God! do not leave me and do not let my soul perish! May my enemies not overcome me, may my hearing not be defiled by their crafty speeches, may my mind not yield to their nasty temptations, may my heart not be afraid of their terrible threats. Do not allow my faith to be cast into dirt and mire, so that the devil, who hates good, will not rejoice, but send me help from the height of Your Throne, give me wisdom, so that I may be strengthened by Your power and answer the questions of the tormentor without fear. Yes, my Lord, look upon me with mercy at this hour; Here I am now, like a sheep among wolves, like a bird among fowlers, like a fish in a net; come and deliver me from the wiles of the enemy!”
The soldiers returned to the ruler and reported that the girl was praying to Christ. Olimvriy ordered the girl to be brought to him and asked:
- What is your name, beauty, where is your homeland and what religion are you?
Marina told the eparch about herself and her origins. Having cast aside fear, she boldly declared that she believed in Christ, the One God, Creator of Heaven and earth, that she was united with Him with heartfelt love and did not desire any other groom.
Then Olimvriy ordered his servants to take the girl to the city, hoping to turn her away from Christ and persuade her to marry. Arriving in Antioch, Olymbrius, according to pagan custom, made sacrifices to the gods and solemnly praised the emperors holding the scepter of the Roman power.
The next day, the ruler ordered the city residents to gather in the main square. He himself arrived accompanied by a detachment of spearmen and sat down at the judge's seat (tribunal). On his orders, Marina was brought in first for questioning. Olymvriy looked at the girl with voluptuousness, increasingly inflamed with carnal feelings for her. He invited her to make a sacrifice to the gods, promising to make her the richest and most noble of the women in the city.
When Marina refused, the eparch began to threaten:
“If you listen to my advice, then immediately in front of all the citizens you will receive a great honor: I will take you as my wife, everyone will respect you as my beloved wife, and I will give you honor and glory, and you will bring me joy and delight my life! If you do not listen to me and reject my love for you, then know that you will experience a lot of evil: you will force me, even though I don’t want it, to torment you and destroy your rare beauty, health and sweet life, you will be subjected to cruel, unbearable torment and you will die from fire and iron!
The saint answered:
- Do not hope, eparch, to change my faith in Christ to your unbelief - neither with caresses nor threats: I am a faithful servant of my Master, who suffered voluntarily for me. If He endured crucifixion on the Cross and death for me, not sparing His holy body, received from the Most Pure Virgin Mary, then I must suffer and die for Him, not sparing my sinful body and health in the least. Don’t think of scaring me with your threats: I am ready for all kinds of torment and death. He in whom I trust will strengthen me. And what you tell me about marriage, honor, fame and wealth, all this is disgusting and disgusting to me. Am I really going to leave my Immortal Bridegroom Christ, the King of Heaven, and marry you?.. Never!
Hearing such words, the eparch was offended, became angry and immediately ordered the soldiers to tear off the girl’s clothes, stretch her out on a bench and beat her with sticks. The executioners tied Marina and beat her for a long time, so that her body was torn from wounds and blood flowed to the ground. The herald repeated during the torture:
- Marina, make a sacrifice to the gods...
But the saint, strengthened by Divine grace, asked the Lord: “Do not forsake me, Lord Jesus Christ, send healing dew and heal my wounds. Help me, for for Your sake I endure this suffering.”
Many townspeople were filled with pity as they watched how cruelly such a woman was tortured. beautiful girl, and told Marina:
“Fulfill the eparch’s command, and he will free you from deadly torture.” We see that you are an innocent child. Your God will forgive you, for you have already suffered a lot for Him.
Marina answered them reproachfully:
- Crafty advisors and evil helpers, you are trying to seduce me. Just as the ancient serpent gave Eve evil advice in paradise, so you now advise me to depart from my God. Let my body perish, but my soul will rest with the holy virgins who were ignorant of Christ. Many people will come to know the True God and Savior through me. But I don’t believe in your gods, deaf and dumb, and I won’t make sacrifices to them!
Addressing Olimvrius, Saint Marina said:
“Do the works of your father Satan, you shameless dog.” I will fulfill the commandments of my Lord the Bridegroom Christ. Seeing my feminine weakness, you hope in vain to break me by force. I am ready for any torment, for Christ helps me.
Marina’s words further wounded the pride of the rejected eparch, and he ordered the body of the martyr to be nailed to a pole with blades and planed with iron hooks. The executioners surrounded the lamb of Christ and began to tear her body with iron. The sufferer raised her eyes to heaven and turned to God: “My enemies surrounded me, plotting evil against me, but You, my Lord, look at me and have mercy on me, send me the help of Your Life-giving Spirit. May He make me wise to confess Your holy name until my last breath, may He give me the strength to courageously resist the devil and his servants, so that I may overcome and put them to shame; deign me to be an example for those who love You and preserve their virginity for Your sake, so that I may stand with them on the right side during Your righteous judgment!”
Meanwhile, the tormentors continued to torment the saint’s body. Even the eparch could not look at these bloody tortures: he covered his face with his cloak and turned away. Everyone present was amazed at Marina’s patience. Tired of their bloody work, the executioners left at seven o'clock, since according to Roman law it was forbidden to interrogate and torture prisoners after six o'clock in the evening.
The bishop turned to Marina again:
- How long will you persist, Marina? Now your body has already been torn to pieces; At least now agree to make a sacrifice to the gods, or tomorrow I will order you to be executed.
“You vile murderer,” answered Marina, “you devour human flesh and pretend to feel sorry for me!” I do not spare myself for the sake of Christ, who did not spare Himself, but gave himself up to great torment for me. If I listen to your crazy advice and spare my body, then how will my soul be crowned in the Kingdom of Heaven?
After these words, the eparch ordered Marina to be taken to a prison for those condemned to death. There were no other prisoners there. But that night she was visited by Theotimus, the future descriptor of the saint’s feat. (The Latin text of the life of the Codex Casinensis indicates that, along with Theotimus, Marina was visited by her nurse). He handed Marina bread and water through the window. This was providential, because Theotimus witnessed the duel between Saint Marina and the devil and was able to tell people about it.
In prison, Marina turned to God with prayer:
“God Most High, all the Heavenly Powers stand before You with fear, and all Principalities and Powers tremble before Your face, and every creation by Your almighty Power is preserved, changed and renewed. You are the Hope of the untrustworthy, the Father of the orphans and the Righteous Judge. You, Master, look down from the heavenly heights, from the throne of Your glory, upon me, Your humble, indecent and unworthy servant: I hope in You, I have come running to You and I suffer for Your name’s sake. Look, O Compassionate One, and heal my body, wounded like a torn robe, renew my soul and preserve it for Your Kingdom. Let me see the enemy of the human race fighting against me. Let him stand face to face with me. You are the Judge and Ruler of the living and the dead - so judge between me and the devil. Deliver me from destruction. Help me defeat him with Your invincible Power and send Satan to the underworld. You are God, Who keeps those who trust in You, Blessed forever. Amen".
The Lord fulfilled Saint Marina’s prayer and showed her the enemy of all people – the devil. The first time the devil appeared to Marina in prison, on the night after the first day of torture, when she was praying—as the Coptic version of the life clarifies—with her hands folded in a cross. After a strong earthquake, the dungeon building swayed. Suddenly, a motley-colored monster, similar to a dragon, appeared in front of Marina. Flames and thick smoke came out of his nostrils. The monster's teeth sparkled, and its tongue was bloody. There were many snakes wrapped around the dragon's neck.
The monster began to circle around Marina, hissing and whistling, filling the dungeon with an unbearable stench. The girl trembled with horror, but soon came to her senses, knelt down and turned to God:
“Invisible God, at Your sight the sea dries up and the abyss opens up. You have humbled the power of the serpent who hates goodness; You set the limits of hell and freed those imprisoned in it. Do not, Lord, allow the evil demon, the rabid, stinking monster, to overcome me now. Help me defeat this fiend of hell. May the sweetness and mercy of Your Holy Spirit descend upon me.”
Marina's words infuriated the monster. The dragon tried to swallow Marina, but the saint made the sign of the cross: the monster rushed and fell with a great noise, and its belly split open. The dragon lay dead on the floor of the dungeon, but Saint Marina remained safe and sound.
At that moment, Marina saw Satan himself - Beelzebub, who was sitting in the left corner of the dungeon and was black as night. The saint turned to God again:
“I sing and praise You, the Lord Almighty and Almighty Creator. “I will rejoice and be glad in Your mercy” (Ps. 30:8). O King of kings, rulers, powers and innumerable powers, You have exalted my cross. I thank You, Lord, for giving me, Your servant Marina, to see with my own eyes the enemy of the human race fighting against me, and to shame the unclean one. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, You strengthened my faith and trampled upon the impudent and arrogant demon who appeared in the form of a dragon.
Now You have shown me Satan himself. In order to overthrow the ruler of the world into the underworld, I call on You - the Holy, Immortal, Wise and Meek Christ. Thou art the Cornerstone, the refuge and stronghold of Thy servants; You are my indestructible Fortress and Hope for eternal life. You are my Rod and the Ladder, leading me to the Father. You are a Merciful and Humane-loving God, may Your name be glorified forever. Amen".
When the saint said “Amen,” the devil exclaimed:
- Shut up, Marina! It was I who sent my relative Rufus (Rufus (in Latin - “red-haired”) - a local pagan deity) in the form of a dragon to kill you, but you defeated him with your prayers, and now you want to destroy me too. Stop fighting with us. Have mercy and do not harm me, because I have shown great deeds.
Having recognized that in the form of a dragon Marina had defeated Rufus, her kinsman, the “prince of demons” began the second onslaught - physical. But Saint Marina strengthened herself with the sign of the cross and entered into battle with the devil. The peculiarity that distinguishes the Great Martyr Marina from other holy virgins and even husbands is that Marina, unlike people, offers active physical resistance to Satan. She not only prays, but also attacks the devil with all available means, and victory is on her side. Continuing to say prayers, Marina suddenly noticed a copper hammer lying in the corner of the dungeon. Grabbing it, she began to hit Satan on the head with it, holding him by the hair (or horns).
The devil fell to the ground and exclaimed:
- Woe is me, woe!
Marina put her right foot on his neck and, continuing to strike with the hammer, said:
- Depart from me, lawless father of Gehenna, for I am the lamb of the Crucified and Risen Christ, who created everything through His Wisdom.
Suddenly the roof over the prison opened, and an extraordinary bright heavenly light shone in the middle of the night, and in the middle of the prison a Cross appeared, reaching to the sky. Above the Cross the saint saw a snow-white dove, which said:
– Rejoice, Marina, who preserved body and soul immaculate for the Immortal Bridegroom and gloriously adorned virginity with martyrdom. Rejoice, blessed one, with strength Life-giving Cross slaying the vile demon. Rejoice, good victorious one, you will bind until the end of the age another hated enemy - Satan. Rejoice, Marina, for an imperishable crown is prepared for you and the doors of heaven are open.
Marina felt unspeakable joy after these words. Her tormented body was healed. The ulcers covered the skin, the pain disappeared: she felt completely healthy and began to thank the Lord:
“I thank You, Lord, for visiting Your servant in prison. Glory to You, who has strengthened me with Your strength. Lord, who founded the earth on waters, let me wash myself in them, for holy Baptism is the bath of immortality. Receive me, baptized in blood, into Your bridal chamber along with the wise virgins.”
The conversation that Beelzebub enters into with the girl represents the third onslaught of Satan. Here, under the guise of frankness in the story of his atrocities, he again tries to entice her into the sins that the young girl is resisting.
When the dove rose to the sky, the saint turned to the demon:
“Tell me, unclean spirit, what is your name, where do you come from, and reveal to me your thoughts.” (The appearance of Beelzebub in visible form before Saint Marina, her confrontation with him and the forced “confession” of Satan is the most important part of the life of the great martyr and, in general, the only such text preserved in ancient lives. Bound by Saint Marina, Beelzebub was forced to reveal the secrets of the struggle that was being waged demons against the human race. Thanks to the Great Martyr Marina, Orthodox people can see the terrible danger that demons pose, realize the need to resist the temptations and temptations of the spirits of evil and gain faith that with God’s help, every Christian can defeat the devil by the feat of life.)
“My name is Beelzebub,” he answered. “I ask you, Marina, take your foot off my neck, and I will open up to you.”
The saint took her foot off the demon, and he began to speak:
– Initially, God created me as a bright Angel and placed me at the head of the Angelic ranks. But because of my evil will, the Almighty deprived me of this good share. I was cast into darkness along with the army of apostate angels and became Satan. I am one of the rulers of the dark evil spirits opposing God. I am the prince of darkness, Beelzebub, leader of the demons. We demons are incorporeal, therefore we do not walk on the earth like people, but are instantly transported in any environment.
“I distort the ways of the Lord,” the demon continued, “with all my zeal I slander people, and people slander God, and therefore I am nicknamed the devil.” (“Devil” in Greek means “slanderer”). With the help of hostile air spirits, we incite anger in people, deprive them of reason and encourage them to lawlessness. We incline the people to slander, deceit, theft, murder, all kinds of atrocities and shameful vices. Demons strive to confuse and disturb every person, to oppose everyone at all times and in everything, to defeat people and rule over them.
We fight wherever we hear about righteous deeds. I make even saints doubt, I change their minds, I confuse their hearts, and at night, during sleep, I put desires in them. When they pray all night, I place my head in their heads and seduce their minds. I inspire the righteous with unclean thoughts: by accepting these thoughts, they become defiled and fall into sin. After the Fall, I instill timidity and despondency in their hearts. I, Beelzebub, have robbed a lot: I have taken away the fruits of labor from many saints, I have seduced many righteous people. The people defeated by me consign wisdom to oblivion and receive bitterness instead of sweetness, and the smell of rot instead of fragrance. I put a burning fire of passion into their hearts, and sin becomes a sharp sword that wounds souls.
I mock every person who strives for debauchery, darkening his mind, making him proud and arrogant. I try to catch all people in my net, but especially those like you - immaculate and pure virgins. Against them, called by the Creator to honor and glory, we use envy and malice. I attack virgins and figure out how to drag them into the abyss of apostasy and destruction with the passion of fornication.
I have tested many saints. But no one could ever defeat my kinsman Rufus - you alone defeated him. And no one has ever put their foot on my neck, but now you have brought me down. You were nothing to me - like dust and ashes, but after the prison was illuminated by the luminous cross, the Holy Spirit moved into you, and I see another likeness in you.
Great men submitted to me, and now I am trampled and disgraced by the youth of Christ, a weak by nature fifteen-year-old girl. If I had been overcome by a powerful husband, I would not have experienced such shame. This defeat is especially great because your father and all your ancestors obeyed me, following my will in everything. You, Marina, stood up to your family, opposed their faith and surpassed your weak nature, enduring the greatest tests. I am amazed at your wisdom. You proved to me your superiority and defeated me great victory. I conjure you, Marina, by the mighty and glorious Throne, do not bind my will ahead of time...
Having revealed his true nature to Marina under duress, the father of lies Beelzebub decided, as is always his custom, to deceive the saint. The wise Marina immediately felt that the spirit of evil, having been forced to talk about its treachery and atrocities, began to mix fiction and nonsense into the truth. (For example, here is an excerpt from the ancient text of Beelzebub’s “confession”, in which he tried to deceive the saint: “Satanael took the daughter of Zeus as his wife, and so she became a perfect demon. Satanael mixed with her like an androgyne, and produced an egg from himself before birth , and from these eggs came evil demons… Since the time of Solomon, we have been preserved in vessels sealed with the seal of Satan. When the Babylonians came, we made fire from the jars. When they saw the flame, they decided that there was gold in the copper vessels, and opened them in order to take possession of the treasure. So we freed ourselves and ran away into the sky."
But here, too, Marina defeated the devil.
“Be quiet,” the saint said to the demon, “I won’t let you lie and say unnecessary things.” It was useful to learn about the secrets that you unwittingly revealed to me in your “confession.” But out of your devilish arrogance, you began to boast and replace the truth you hate with fiction. You are a liar and a deceiver.
Marina made the sign of the cross over the demon, - at this time the earth opened up and the holy virgin uttered the following words:
- Go into the hellish abyss until Last Judgment until you give an answer for the souls you destroyed.
The abyss swallowed Beelzebub, and Marina, kneeling down, began to pray, at the end of which the earth shook and closed.
After such visions and revelations, Marina spent the rest of the night in triumph and joy. A new day has come, which became the last in her earthly life.
In the morning, Bishop Olimvriy ordered the martyr to be brought from prison for interrogation. Almost half the city gathered to see how the life of a young Christian woman who did not submit to her tormentors would end. Seeing Marina with a bright face, completely healthy and unharmed, even without traces of yesterday’s torture, the eparch was amazed and perplexed how this could happen. The pagans who gathered at the spectacle were also surprised: some extolled the Power of Christ, while others considered it the result of witchcraft.
The eparch addressed Marina with the following words:
– You see, Marina, how our gods take care of you! They took pity on your youth and beauty and healed you of your wounds. You also need to make sacrifices to them in gratitude for the benefit received; and even more, you need to be an imitator and successor of your father: he served the gods in the rank of priest, and you need to become a priestess and serve them all your life.
“It is not fitting for me to leave my True and Living God and serve your false and dead gods; on the contrary, you need to know the One God of Heaven and believe in Him, seeing such His power on me: yesterday you tore me to pieces, and now He immediately made me healthy and unharmed! He is the Almighty Doctor of human souls and bodies!
But the eparch became even more embittered and ordered the martyr to be hung on the gate and burned with burning candles. Marina endured everything and prayed to God. When she was taken off the gate, barely alive, she said loudly:
"God! Thou hast vouchsafed me to pass through fire for Thy name, and thou hast vouchsafed me to pass through the water of holy baptism, and, washed from sins, lead me into Thy rest.”
The torturer, hearing that Marina mentioned water, said:
“She’s thirsty, you damned one, we need to give her something to drink,” after which he ordered to bring a huge vat of water and throw the saint into it upside down to drown her. While the executioners filled the vessel with water, the saint cried out to God with a prayer:
“Lord Jesus Christ, who leads you out of the shackles, looses the bonds of death and hell and raises you from the graves with the mania of Your Divine Power! Look upon Thy servant and break my bonds! And may this water be my desired holy baptism for birth into eternal life, so that, having put off the old man, I may put on the new and appear to You in a wedding garment in Your chamber!”
The soldiers threw Marina into a vat of water, but suddenly the earth shook and the ropes with which they had tied the martyr became untied. A pillar of light, on top of which was a Cross, shone above Marina’s head, and a white dove, which she had seen before, appeared and sat on top of the Cross. And again a voice was heard, which many of those gathered heard:
– Peace be with you, bride of Christ Marina, now you will receive the unfading crown of virtue from the hand of the Lord and rest in the Kingdom of Heaven along with the saints.
The gathered people began to glorify Christ, for many believed in Him after everything they had seen. Olymbrius was frightened and ordered to behead those people who publicly declared themselves Christians. On that day, soldiers executed 85 people outside the city. (Some lists of the life of St. Marina mention the number of executed from five to fifteen thousand people, excluding women and children. This figure is unlikely, since it is close to the total number big city that time. More likely, we're talking about about the number of those who believed in Christ, and not about those executed for confessing their faith).
The eparch was afraid that with new tortures, Saint Marina would perform such miracles that would convert all the inhabitants of the city to Christ. He finally realized that neither caresses, nor threats, nor torment could turn Marina away from her faith in Christ, and therefore he ordered her head to be cut off. A speculator (a speculator is a warrior who carried out a court sentence) named Malchus, accompanied by soldiers, led Marina to execution outside the city. A crowd of townspeople followed the martyr. When everyone approached the place of execution, Malchus took out his sword from its sheath and turned to Marina:
– I see Christ surrounded by many Angels who have prepared to accompany you. Stretch your neck and after a blow with a sword you will go to the Kingdom of Heaven. Remember me there, for I also touched your holy maforium.
“If you see God,” said the martyr, “then you yourself are not far from the Kingdom of Heaven.” I ask you, brother, let me pray and say goodbye to the people.
“Pray to God and talk to people as much as you wish,” answered Malchus.
“My brothers and friends,” said Saint Marina, “pray to God for me, so that I may complete my earthly journey with dignity.” In my last hour, I ask all of you, old and young, to be steadfast in your confession of Christ. Then God will lead you to the knowledge of the truth, enlighten you with the light of His face, so that at the end of your life’s journey you will not be ashamed, but rejoice before Him.
Then Marina raised her hands to the sky and turned to the Lord:
“God Almighty, grant my request. Be merciful to everyone who, having heard about my martyrdom, will honor the memory of Your servant Marina and turn to me in prayers. Forgive their sins, for You know that we are flesh and blood. Help, Lord, them if they fall into temptation or find themselves in a difficult situation, or are judged and ask You in my name. Grant them, Lord, victory over the enemies who unrighteously attack them. Deliver from evil demons all Christians who called on my name on their deathbed, and may the demons not approach them. Let Your will be done in everything, both in Heaven and on earth forever and ever. Amen".
When Saint Marina finished the words of her prayer, the earth shook again. The people fell prostrate to the ground. The speculator Malchus, who had already drawn his sword to execute the martyr, dropped it out of fear. A bright cloud overshadowed the saint, and the Lord and the Angels appeared before her. Seeing the Savior, Marina trembled and fell at His feet.
“Here, Marina,” the Lord turned to His chosen one, “you are the head of My army, for you brought a multitude of people to Me.” Angels will take your soul to heaven, and your holy relics will remain on earth: from them many mercies and miracles will be performed. In every church, Angels will serve those who call on Me by your name.
Then Christ spread His hands over the saint and said:
“Blessed are you, Marina, for in your hour of death you intercede for sinners.” I will give them the courage to defeat the devil and, for the sake of your martyrdom and the memory of him, I will fulfill everything that you have now asked of Me. The evil spirit will not come close to the places where your relics will rest. May there be healing from all illnesses, forgiveness of sins, peace and love of the Father of Truth.
Marina ordered Malchus to carry out the execution and put her head under the sword. But he did not dare to carry out the eparch’s sentence. Then the saint sternly said to him:
“Do this, otherwise you will not have a part with me in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
The speculator raised his sword and cut off the head of the saint with one blow, saying:
- Lord, do not judge me for the blood of the holy virgin.
After the execution of Saint Marina, Malchus threw himself on his sword and fell near her body, becoming a funeral sacrifice for the great martyr.
Thus ended the martyrdom of Saint Marina. Her faithful admirer Theotimus anointed the body of the great martyr with aromas and incense and transferred them to the city of Antioch, to the house of a certain pious senator. At the relics of Saint Marina, healings of the sick and those possessed by evil spirits began immediately after this.
CHAPTER 4
REVERENCE OF THE HOLY GREAT MARTYR MARINA IN THE CHRISTIAN WORLD
The tradition of venerating Marina was established by the witness of her imprisonment and execution (304), and then by the saint’s hagiographer, Theotimus. Subsequently, her relics were placed in a stone tomb in a specially built prayer house - martyrium, where every year on the day of memory of the saint, the Divine Liturgy was served and then a meal was held in honor of the great martyr. The basis for recognizing Marina as a saint, as throughout the entire era of early Christianity, was not the formal canonization procedure, but the numerous miracles performed from her relics.
Throughout the entire time since the appearance of her life, the Holy Great Martyr Marina has been venerated in the Orthodox churches of the East (memory day - July 17 according to the Julian calendar), as well as in the Coptic Church. In Rome, the life of Saint Marina was recognized as apocryphal in 494 by Pope Gelasius I. For their part, Eastern Christian lives do not mention the actions of Gelasius; They call the saint herself, as the inscriptions on ancient icons say, with only one name - Marina. Given the great similarity between the Greek and Latin texts of the Lives, the saint from a certain moment began to be venerated in different parts Europe under different names: closer to the south and east under the original name Marina, and in the West and North - as Margarita. In the Middle Ages in Western Europe, her veneration was resumed under the name of Margaret of Antioch.
In the 8th century, the Greek Empress Maria transferred part of the relics of Saint Marina to Constantinople. They were kept in the monastery of Pantepont (All-Seer of Christ) until the city was captured in 1204 by the crusaders. Another part of the saint’s relics was transferred in 908 from Antioch to Tuscany (Italy) and placed in the city of Montefiascone (now they are located in the Cathedral of St. Margaret, built in the 14th century).
It is also known that in 1213 a certain John de Borea took a silver casket containing the palm of a saint from one of the monasteries of Constantinople. These relics saved John from a storm on the sea route to Venice. The saint's reliquary was placed in the Venetian church of St. Liberal, after which the church itself was renamed in honor of St. Marina. Even in the 17th century, the relics remained there. The one who saw them remembers that there was a Greek inscription on the casket: “The relics of the Holy Great Martyr Marina.” In the 19th century, this shrine was moved to Venice to the Church of St. Thomas.
IN Catholic Church Saint Marina (Margarita), before the adoption of a new calendar in 1969, was one of the so-called “Fourteen Holy Helpers” - ancient saints whose veneration dates back to the time of the plague epidemic in the mid-14th century. In the West, she is revered as one of the three holy virgins, along with Saints Barbara and Catherine. In altar paintings she is depicted next to the Virgin Mary. According to legend, Saint Marina was especially revered by the crusaders during their campaigns, and she was one of the saints who appeared to Joan of Arc.
Particles of the relics of St. Marina were scattered throughout Christendom. Orthodox Greeks have a special love for Saint Marina. In Greece, many churches were erected in honor of the great martyr; honest head saint. But, perhaps, nowhere is St. Marina revered as much as on Holy Mount Athos. Parts of her relics are among the shrines of most Athonite monasteries. Part of the saint’s hand is in the Xenophon Monastery, the left hand with the hand is in the Iveron Monastery, right hand- in the Dokhiar monastery, in the Philotheus monastery - a leg, in the Russian Panteleimon monastery - one of the ribs; large parts of her relics are in Hilandar and Esphigmen.
The life of the great martyr became the basis for the reverent veneration of her by the Holy Mountain residents, because the saint challenged the devil himself and, by the Power of God, defeated the prince of darkness. The practitioners of the Jesus Prayer, the Svyatogorsk monks, wage constant spiritual warfare against the spirits of darkness. For one and a half millennia, here on the Holy Mountain, by the grace of God, monks have resisted the devil and destroyed his plans with unceasing prayer. They prevent the devil and his servants from ruling the world, which is why the demons so fiercely hate the Holy Mountain dwellers and, in general, all those who choose the monastic path. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the foot of the Great Martyr Marina is located among the shrines of Athos: the same foot that trampled the devil himself.
In Zugdidi (Georgia) a part of the saint’s hand is kept. Particles of the relics of the great martyr are reverently kept in Russia: in the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, in the Moscow Church of the Resurrection of Christ (Sokolniki) in a casket brought from the Holy Mountain in 1863 by the elder hieromonk Arseny.
In Russia, one of the most common and beloved female names by the people is the name of the Great Martyr Marina; it has long been perceived as a traditional Russian name. In the “Register of Ladies and Beautiful Maidens” from Russian folk pictures of the 18th century there are the following words: “Marina will say, feed.” And in poetry, her name rhymes perfectly with such native Russian words as mountain ash, plain.
Already from the 4th century, Saint Marina was revered as a deliverer from misfortunes and troubles, from unjust trials and lawless sentences. But a special area where her intercession has extraordinary power is protection from spirits of evil, from enemy attacks, from slander and slander. The Athonite Proskinitary (description of holy places) of 1701 says that the relics of the Great Martyr Marina heal the demoniac and the mentally ill. Protecting from “slander, slander and attacks of enemies,” Saint Marina, who defeated the devil during her lifetime, most of all helps people overwhelmed by the spirits of evil; she also has mercy on those lying on their deathbed, driving away demons from them. Saint Marina provides healing for various illnesses, consoles those who mourn, helps in overcoming sinful habits and habits, saves from hunger, preserving crops from the elements: hail, hurricanes, drought, from attacks of locusts, caterpillars and other insects.
CONCLUSION
The name of the Holy Great Martyr Marina translated from Latin means “sea.” In ancient Latin lives and acts of martyrdom she is also called Margaret, and under this name she is revered by Western Christians. There is an assumption that Margarita is the nickname of Saint Marina, given to her for her beauty and nobility (from the Greek and Latin word “margarita”, that is, “pearl, pearl”).
The last prayer of the Great Martyr Marina was for those Christians who will turn to her in their difficult hour:
“God Almighty, grant my request. Be merciful to everyone who, having heard about my martyrdom, will honor the memory of your servant Marina and turn to me in prayers. Forgive their sins, for You know that we are flesh and blood. Help, Lord, them if they fall into temptation or find themselves in a difficult situation, or are judged and ask You in my name. Grant them, Lord, victory over the enemies who unrighteously attack them. Deliver from evil demons all Christians who called on my name on their deathbed, and may the demons not approach them. Let Your will be done in everything, both in Heaven and on earth forever and ever. Amen".
And now let us put into our hearts the words of the Savior, Who gave His chosen one great boldness and grace of help to all who turn to her:
“Blessed are you, Marina, for in your hour of death you intercede for sinners. I will give them the courage to defeat the devil and, for the sake of your martyrdom and the memory of him, I will fulfill everything that you have now asked of Me. The evil spirit will not come close to the places where your relics will rest. May there be healing from all illnesses, forgiveness of sins, peace and love of the Father of Truth.”
That is why the gracious power of the relics of the great martyr is so great - after all, according to the promise of the Lord Himself, the spirits of evil cannot approach them; Prayer to her drives away demons from those on their deathbed. Her powerful intercession helps the sick, mourning, and suffering to find joy, love, peace, and the fulfillment of what they ask for. These words of the Lord fill all Christians with joy that we have a wondrous intercessor before God, the holy virgin martyr Marina, who until the end of time will remain a quick helper and intercessor of all who honor her and turn to her with prayer. She defeated the devil during her lifetime, she helps all the faithful, all who love God and honor His chosen one, the Holy Great Martyr Marina, to defeat him.
The feat of Saint Marina is especially important for our days, as an example of standing in faith until death. Her prayer protects and protects the souls of the faithful, and first of all, Orthodox wives and virgins, from the actions of the devil. The devil and his servants know well that Russian women bear the main burden of confronting sin and destruction - the madness that engulfs the world. Therefore, demons and earthly servants of the devil strike at the very heart in order to destroy the conciliar unity of the people, which is held together by women’s love, the preservation of family and clan, and connections with previous generations. Appeal to St. Great Martyr Marina can help many Russian women to withstand what is said in the sticheron of the 6th song of the Canon of the Most Holy Theotokos: “sorrow will support me, I can’t stand demonic shooting...”. Saint Marina will help protect our women from “demonic shooting” - from attacks by the spirits of evil in heaven. Orthodox Christian women need to constantly pray to Saint Marina; it is good to have with you or wear on a chain an icon or amulet with her image. And, of course, constantly read Marina’s dying prayer and, if possible, an akathist dedicated to her.
The celebration in honor of the Holy Great Martyr Marina takes place once a year on July 17/30.